Ready to explore CAIS?

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Go FURTHER

How Far Will You Go?

Enroll now in the first Mandarin Immersion school in the
United States. Our early childhood through 8th grade program allows students to be connected to their roots while preparing them for the future.

CAIS is now accepting applications for our 2025-2026 school year. Talk to our admissions team to learn more!

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Come Explore CAIS

The best way to know what CAIS can offer you is by joining us on campus for an event. We have a few options for you to get to know us. Complete the form below to register for an opportunity to join us!

CAIS 101

Face to Face with CAIS

Campus Tours

Our CAIS 101 series allows families to come on campus to hear from current parents, students, and teachers.

One of our most popular event formats! CAIS invites you to hear from a panel of our CAIS subject-matter-experts—our 8th graders—about their individual experiences. 

There’s no better way to envision your family joining our community than to experience it yourself.

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Ready to Go Further?

Contact our admissions team today to learn more or start your application for our 2025-2026 school year.

CAIS in Point

76%

6:1

43 years
of innovation

of 8th graders who meet the benchmark to teach Mandarin

student
to teacher ratio

(we were the first Mandarin immersion school in the US)

18 average
kindergarten class size

3 international travel opportunities

(in 5th, 7th, and 8th grades)

Be Part of CAIS History

We are so excited to announce that we have arrived at our brand new campus on 19th Avenue! for the 2024-2025 school year. This new 5+ acre space offers exceptional learning opportunities including larger classrooms, a state-of-the-art fine arts building and theater, an art studio with an on-site kiln, a dance studio, a multi-purpose athletic facility with a full size indoor basketball court, soccer pitch, and so much more. We’d love to welcome you to our first year in this exciting new space!

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Explore Our Campus

Learning in Mandarin & English

CAIS blends the best of both worlds by teaching in both Mandarin and English, allowing students to grow fluency – and confidence – in both languages, in a setting that prioritizes overall academic achievement and offers opportunities to learn about Chinese culture, both through everyday learning as well as through global travel experiences.

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 Our Academic Programs

Early Childhood
Preschool to 1st Grade 

Lower School
2nd to 5th Grade

Your CAIS journey begins with our fun and engaging preschool program that introduces Mandarin through play based learning that integrates early learning in math, literacy, music, science, social and emotional learning, art, and more. As students move into kindergarten and 1st grade, we continue to build a strong foundation in Mandarin as well as general academics and grow each child’s confidence in conversational Mandarin. 

Our Lower School follows a 50/50 immersion model, alternating Chinese and English instruction days with lead teachers in each language. We teach core subjects including reading, writing, math, word study, social studies, and science—as well as art, music and movement, physical education, and coding. Students in Lower School are encouraged to practice their language skills through public speaking in order to build confidence. Our 5th grade program culminates in our students’ first trip overseas to Taiwan.

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Middle School
6th to 8th grade

Mandarin World
Language Pathway

Our hands-on, minds-on, interdisciplinary curriculum allows middle schoolers to apply concepts to their own lives, their communities, and the world. In 7th and 8th grades, we travel as a class to mainland China to put our learning into practice and grow our global perspective.

No Mandarin (yet)? No problem! Our new Mandarin World Language Pathway allows middle schoolers without a background in Mandarin to join the CAIS community.

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Inside CAIS

“Our kids thrived at this school. It is an immersion in both the language and culture of China. It's rigorous, but in a way that we found age-appropriate. The required international trips are magnificent.”

Parent of CAIS Grads

“My school is very inclusive and diverse. The classes are small and tight-knit. Though I have been challenged, I have never fallen through the cracks. The teachers are very supportive here to anyone who needs help… I love CAIS, and I am very thankful that my parents chose to send me here.”

CAIS Middle School Student

“My husband and I are ethnically Chinese and my in-laws do not speak much English. It is very important for us that our children are able to speak directly with their grandparents without a translator so that they may have meaningful, authentic relationships.”

CAIS Parent

“While learning Mandarin is our top priority for our children’s elementary school education, our goal has always been for our children to attend independent high schools and colleges in the U.S. We are confident that A will be a strong applicant for high-performing private high schools and colleges from his preparation at CAIS. His bilingualism and biliteracy will be a bonus at that point.”

CAIS Parent

“Every staff member we have interacted with has shown how much they genuinely care for the growth and well-being of our children. E's classes are stimulating and she is constantly encouraged to challenge herself.”

CAIS Early Childhood Parent

“We have the kids do the traditional Chinese thing of calling the parents of classmates "Auntie" or "Uncle," but it does truly feel as if we are one large family and raising all these kids together. At CAIS, we are not just a village, but an extended family!”

CAIS Parent

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Learn more about how CAIS connects families within our community.

Early Childhood (Preschool 2, 3, & 4)
Early Childhood (K-1) and Lower School (2-5)
Middle School (6-8)


3250 19th Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94132

415-865-6000

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